THE ETHIOPIAN REGION 101 



Section IV. — The Malagasy Sub-region 



The island of Madagascar is separated from the main- 

 land of Africa by the Mozambique Channel, which, though 

 only about 250 miles across at its narrowest point, is more 

 than 100 fathoms deep throughout its extent. 



For our recent knowledge of the fauna of Madagascar 

 we are chiefly indebted to the great work of Grandidier 1 

 (3). Unfortunately, up to the present time only the plates 

 and a small portion of the letterpress of that part which 

 deals with the mammals have been published. 



Out of a total number of forty-seven genera of mammals 

 found in this Sub-region, no less than thirty-three are 

 exclusively confined to it. Of the others, two or three 

 occur also on the mainland of Africa, and the remaining 

 twelve — most of which are bats — are cosmopolitan, or at 

 any rate extend beyond the limits of the Ethiopian Region. 



The Ungulates are represented in Madagascar by only 

 one form — a peculiar River-hog (Potamochcerus) closely 

 allied to the South African species, but still sufficiently 

 distinct to have earned a title to a separate appellation. 

 With this exception, the Ungulates, so numerous and so 

 conspicuous a feature on the African continent, are entirely 

 absent from Madagascar. 



The Rodents are represented in this Sub-region by seven 

 genera of Mice, containing thirteen species, all confined 

 to it. 



The Malagasy Sub-region possesses six peculiar forms of 



1 Dr. Forsyth Major's recent explorations in Madagascar have added 

 considerably to our knowledge of its smaller mammals, particularly of 

 Rodents and Insectivores. 



